So what now? (This mess we're in)
by MrzKitty
Summary: My take on the aftermath of "Heir to the Demon." Angst, but this one wouldn't leave me alone. The M is for language. Finally complete...I think.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: So this is my reaction to 2x13. This started off differently, as I started it before 2x13 aired. It's marked as in progress because I am trying to get a resolution together, but reviews and prompts would be welcome.**

**Disclaimer: not mine, not beta'd, review at most, enjoy at the least.**

* * *

Something was off with his team. He couldn't put his finger on it, exactly, but something was off. Oliver surreptitiously observed members of said team while doing his workout to figure it out.

Diggle was recovering from his wound nicely, but it still pained Oliver to see it. It was another wound that rested squarely on his shoulders, and he felt the weight of his decisions more than ever.

Diggle was talking with the other, far more distracting team member, Felicity. He still gets chills when he thinks about how easily it could have been her that had been shot. Oliver knew it was only part of why he'd apologized when the mission was over.

_I think you've never had a problem with Felicity's performance until Barry Allen._

Digg's words had had the same effect as a blow to his solar plexus; it was just never an effect he'd admit to anyone else. Hell, he had a hard enough time admitting it to himself, because _dammit_ he'd rarely wanted to kiss Felicity more than when she'd gone toe to toe with him when he'd been so unfair to her. Oliver knew he was being unfair at the time, but he couldn't explain that he'd felt abandoned when she actually listened to him and went to visit Barry; couldn't explain that he felt inexplicably threatened by the same young man he'd called friend to Detective Lance. He knew he had no right to claim Felicity, she wasn't broken and damaged like him. He wouldn't be the one to change that. That hadn't stopped the more primitive part of Oliver from reacting. He managed to stop himself from acting on anything however, when that blinding smile and hope had entered her eyes after he called Felicity partner. He'd even managed not to snort his derision at the thought that Barry Allen was the only man interested in her. Like hell he was.

Things with Diggle were mostly fine, the way he'd treated Felicity aside. He supposed that was partially because he'd finally admitted to having a blind spot when it came to Laurel. Diggle had never been fond of her, and Oliver was actually still a little stunned at how far she'd fallen. Part of him wanted to take the blame for her condition, but Felicity had pointed out that the Undertaking would have been much worse without him, and Laurel would have most likely made the same decision, with the same result. His shoulders were heavy enough, so why was he taking on more than he needed to, why continue talking himself out of a victory? Needing that piece of hope, he let her convince him, and was finally starting to understand that Laurel had her faults. Addiction at the moment just seemed to be one of them.

Speaking of Felicity...he took a long look at her. She seemed...distracted, withdrawn. Worried. He knew better than to push her, she's one of very few people who could outsilence him if she wanted. He just hoped she'd remember that she had him to talk to if she needed.

Oliver dropped down from the salmon ladder when he heard Roy come in. Felicity had unsurprisingly taken to Roy quickly, and that bothered him more than it should. The hushed conversations he'd interrupted a few times didn't help that sense of possessiveness either. He headed over to stand behind Felicity to get updates on their latest search, and was taken aback that not only was she not surprised to have him behind her but she'd quickly minimized at least two windows to prevent him from seeing. He didn't have time to dwell on it as Felicity launched into an explanation of what she did find, subtly moving out from the hand he'd as usual placed on her shoulder. It was another observation that bothered Oliver, but any thought he could have given to it was interrupted by the training he knew he had to do with Roy.

Oliver figured the issue resolved when she came clean about Walter's request and the truth about his mother. He was sure his mother had attempted to manipulate Felicity into not telling him if the glares between the two were anything to judge by, but he knew it didn't work. Clearly, as he knew now. He knew Felicity didn't want to tell him, she knew it would hurt, but he was grateful for her honesty. And her loyalty.

Oliver was currently alone in the Foundry, trying to work through the wealth of emotions being with Sara was doing nothing to alleviate. He was angry, hurt, betrayed, worried. He knew there was a darkness in him, and once again he had given in to his weakness with another woman he wouldn't taint as he would Felicity. Sara understood the darkness, she had her own and needed the same mindless comfort he had.

It was as Diggle and Felicity came in that he realized there was a bigger shift in dynamic than he thought. They were laughing together, laughter he no longer heard in the Foundry. Felicity was all business recently, and now that he thought about it, Oliver hadn't heard her ramble in weeks. She also was never alone with him anymore at QC or the Foundry , and he honestly couldn't recall a time recently when he was allowed to enjoy the easy intimacy of the small touches with her. Diggle was usually succinct with him, but he'd been shorter than ever with him. Lines had been drawn, and Oliver honestly wasn't quite sure how or why.

That wasn't to say the team didn't function as they always had, efficiently and seamlessly, because they were. But Oliver knew something was different. He came back from patrol that night to find Felicity already gone, which was another recent development. Roy was playing dutiful boyfriend to Thea, Sara had been in and out for weeks now, which left Digg, who was currently doing his own training.

"Where's Felicity?" Oliver asked, and was surprised to see anger flash in the other man's eyes. Diggle ignored the question, and continued his routine. Oliver changed out of his gear, and decided it was time. He moved to offer himself as a sparring partner. He met Digg's gaze, and saw the warning there, but he knew that it was past time for him to find out what had changed. It was a matter of time actually, before this shift became detrimental.

He and Digg sparred for several minutes, each well acquainted with the others style, strength and weakness. Finally Oliver asked again where Felicity was, and was unprepared for the absolute fury that question unleashed. Quickly Oliver found himself on his back as Digg executed a move he'd never seen.

"I drove her home after she passed out from exhaustion at her computers again." Oliver jumped up quickly, stunned to hear the word 'again.'

"Again?" _thud._ On his back again.

"Ever since that little crack about not being fast enough, she's been pushing herself to make sure she doesn't get outhacked again. She also knows how freaked out you are by the Mirakuru, so between Laurel's and Roy's suspicions, she has been spending every spare minute researching that."

"Roy's suspicion?" _Slam, and down again._

"Blood drives combined with psych evals during which a very specific profile went missing, only to turn up dead of an overdose that causes blood to run from the eyes. Oh yeah, the blood drives were organized by your buddy Sebastian."

"Why didn't she tell me?" Oliver grunted as Digg took him down yet again. He barely had a second to roll away as he saw a massive fist head his way.

"She already feels guilty, and like you resent her, for telling you about whatever it is your mother kept from you. She's not about to tell you someone else you believe in could be part of the problem without proof." Oliver rolled again as Diggle kept up his assault. He still hadn't gotten to the root of the Digg's anger and team dynamic change, but now he wasn't sure he was going to like the cause.

"She knows I wouldn't blame her for that, and I don't blame her for telling me about my mother." Oliver grunted again as Digg landed a solid hit. _Jesus,_ what was happening? He was distracted, and he'd only seen this single minded purposeness from Diggle twice before- Deadshot and Lyla.

"Does she?"

"Of course she does!" At that Diggle scoffed and walked away. Taking a swig from his water bottle, he asked,

"And how would she? Because you've told her? Because you've shown her how valued she is? Because you've paid enough attention to the makeup covering the circles under her eyes? Because that's just how it is? Don't think so man. Actually, I know better, because you're too much of an idiot to see what you have." At that, Oliver's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Exactly what I said," Diggle shrugged, unimpressed with Oliver's anger. "You have no idea how lucky you are, you're either too stupid or too much of a coward. I don't want to hear your island bullshit either. You are so focused on what you've lost and what is wrong that you are actually incapable of seeing what you do and could have. I'm just tired of you hurting Felicity as collateral damage." At that, Oliver stopped short.

"What?" Was all he could manage.

"Man, you really are an idiot," Digg scoffed again. "That girl is head over heels for you, and you are intent on ignoring it. She knows you, trusts you, believes in you, loves you. And that's after you abandoned her after the Undertaking, and after you've thrown your other women in her face. She still wants nothing but happiness for you. I don't care what secret she told you, but I know it weighed on her, still does. She is positive you resent her. I also know that she walked in on you and Sara. You are not the only one who has sacrificed or is hurting, buddy. You're just too blind to see it," Digg said with disgust.

"I know she gave up a job she enjoyed..."

"All of that, and _that's_ what you pick," Diggle muttered. "Even you aren't so stupid to think it's just that," Diggle stated louder, remembering his conversation with Felicity not that long ago.

_He'd walked into the Foundry to see Felicity eating mint chocolate chip ice cream straight out of the carton._

_"Rough night?" He'd asked, remembering her comment about using ice cream to process._

_"Trying to process the images of Sara and Oliver going at it all over the Foundry, along with everything else recently."_

_"Seriously? Here?!"_

_"Yeap," she said, drawing out the p._

_"Dammit Oliver,"_

_"That's the least of what I said," Felicity agreed._

_"Oh?"_

_"I mean, he deserves to be happy. I hope it works out, because it's messy and complicated as hell for them. They have history, there are feelings there and obviously chemistry. Clearly his little line about not being able to be with someone he cares about only applied to this blonde," she continued, pointing to herself. "And you know what? That's ok. Part of me knows guys like that don't go for girls like me. Makes his mother's warning about how he'll resent me a little truer than I expected; I don't think he realizes that yet. I'm just going to have to get over this, because he obviously meant partner in the most platonic of ways, no matter how much I'd hoped otherwise. Maybe I'll take Barry up on his offer, at least his was genuine and he's sweet enough. Unlike the idiots at QC who have bought into the 'she's Oliver Queen's gold digging whore' idea. And why wouldn't they think that? He does nothing to change it, even when that bitch Isabel says it." _

_By now in her ramble Felicity's eyes had filled with tears, and Digg could see she was trying very hard to get that under control. He gathered her into his arms for a hug, rather than giving in to his current urge to beat Oliver senseless. Felicity was like the little sister he never had, and for someone to hurt her the way Oliver carelessly kept hurting her was straining his patience. Not to mention his temper._

_"You deserve better too, you know." At that Felicity sniffed and laughed, pulling back and moving back to her computers._

_"Better than one of the city's heroes who has a history of bad decisions with women and a guilt complex the size and shape of the island chain he was trapped on?" Digg laughed._

_"One of?"_

_"Yeah, you do a lot too. Oliver can't do this without us, you know that," Felicity smiled, and Digg knew then that for as bad as she was feeling, she'd be ok. She'd proven over and over her silent strength; recovering from being trapped after the Undertaking (they never spoke about the nightmares he'd helped her through), jumping out of a plane despite her fear of heights, silently putting up with everyone assuming the worst of her, making sure they had what they needed. She'd heal her broken heart. He just wished Oliver wasn't such a damn selfish jerk who strung her along with mixed messages, because that would only make it a longer journey._

_"So what are you working on?" And with that, Felicity explained the concerns about Blood, being outhacked, and excess technology where it shouldn't be. After talking with her, he agreed it made sense to look into but wanted to tell Oliver so he could look into it also. She adamantly refused, stating it was just suspicion and currently she had no proof of anything, and not much in the way of leads. He, in the end, submitted to her expertise as he had the night Barry had saved Oliver. She was, after all, the brains of their operation. _

They had resumed sparring, but the next time Digg took Oliver down, he stayed that way. He didn't quite know what to do with the information that had just been dumped in his lap. Part of him screamed at him that this was proof he'd been right all along and Felicity should be off limits; he in no way deserved her.

"That's true, the way I'm feeling about you right now, but that's not your call or even mine to make. It's hers." Damn, he'd pulled a Felicity and spoken out loud. "Figure this out Oliver, and stick with it. Otherwise, _you_ will cause your own fears to come true. And you'll have no one to blame but yourself."

With that, Diggle walked up and out of the Foundry, leaving Oliver to wonder just what the hell he was going to do about this mess he'd once again created.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Sorry for the delay everyone, my muse abandoned me for a bit. Here is the second chapter, I think there will be one more after this and I'm already working on it. I am finding one-shots to be easier (honestly, I'm not really that creative. Not to mention the time involved, kudos to everyone who manages to do that!)

I absolutely took some creative license; to the point of being likely slightly AU. Also, my notifications were not working, so I have to thank everyone who reviewed, favorited and followed; if you PM'd me, I didn't get it until yesterday so I apologize. As always though, I welcome the reviews, but please at least enjoy!

Disclaimer: no recognizable character is mine; I'm just borrowing them.

* * *

Oliver finally stood in the Foundry, a little bewildered as to what had just happened. He looked around, feeling the change in his sanctuary.

"He's right, you know." Came a feminine voice from behind him. Oliver pivoted to see Sara emerge from the shadows.

"What?" Oliver asked, starting to feel a little ridiculous for his sudden lack of vocabulary.

"Diggle is right," Sara repeated, smiling a bit mirthlessly at Oliver for the same reason. "She does love you. The real you. And honestly Ollie, you love her. You've never looked at Laurel or me the way you look at Felicity. I've never seen fear in your eyes like when you heard Felicity was in danger with the 'Clock King.'

You and I both know we're just trying to hold on to anything we can from before the island, something to prove we can still be normal people like everyone else. The problem is...we can't. We went through too much. I'm a killer, and I don't understand your no kill rule. I don't work well with a team, and I promise I've been trying. You've thrived with one. And Felicity, well." Sara paused, smiled.

"You're lucky to have her. She's been nothing but nice to me, and she didn't have to be. I also didn't know she did so much for you. Did you?"

"Honestly, no. No I didn't. What am I going to do, Sara? I can't do this-" he swung his arm to indicate everything in the Foundry- "without her."

"That's what scares you. You've never needed anyone that way. You never let yourself get that close. I think you were willing to try with me, but it's too late for that. She's already there. You need to decide if you can take that leap. If you don't, you will lose her to your indecision. If you do, you get a shot at happiness. How can you ignore that, Ollie?"

"And what happens if I ruin it? Ruin _her_? What about Barry?"

"What happens if you _don't? _And do you honestly still think she's in love with Barry?"

At that, Oliver stayed silent. What could he really say to that? Sara kissed him on the cheek.

"This is your journey, Ollie. I have my own to make, and I understand that now. Thank you for that. Let me know if you ever need backup, because it was good to try and undo some of the damage I'd done." And with that, Sara left the Foundry, leaving Oliver alone once again to battle his demons.

* * *

He never realized how much he actually hated the name Ollie until he no longer had hearing someone call him Oliver to balance it out.

Since Sara's return, Felicity had gradually just stopped using his name, unless it was to get his attention specifically. If they were at QC, she referred to him as Mr. Queen, even when it was just the two of them. If she was actually at the Foundry, she rarely spoke to him at all. Digg still got smiles, hell even Roy did. But not him. She wasn't cold, per se, just reserved when it came to him.

It didn't take long before that change wore on him. So one late evening at the office, before she could flee being alone with him, he tried talking to her. At a loss for safe topics, and trying to be supportive, he asked how Barry was.

Felicity looked at him, finally, and he was hurt to see that she'd put a wall up. She at least answered him, even allowing him to touch her, casually intimately as he used to. He felt like an ass after, for feeling relieved that he could pick up on the fact that despite what she'd told Digg, she wouldn't be hooking up with Barry anytime soon. He stared after her for long moments, before he followed her out, headed to the Foundry.

* * *

"Somehow, Malcolm Merlyn, it surprised me to see you doing your own surveillance," a soft Australian accent floated across the night.

Merlyn turned around to see who addressed him. He was caught off guard that someone saw him, since he was supposed to be dead, but he knew better than to show it. He noticed the eye patch on the man strolling confidently towards him.

"I'm sorry, I don't think we've been introduced," he said easily.

"Oh, we haven't. But we do have something in common."

"Oh?" Eye Patch looked at the figures of Felicity and Oliver as they talked.

"We both hate Oliver Queen."

* * *

Felicity stared at her computers, exhausted and berating everything she could, including herself. She hated what she was becoming. She knew she was intelligent, so why was she letting Sara's presence make her feel incapable? She knew she was one of the best at hacking, so why did she feel Oliver's rebuke from all those weeks ago still sting? Especially after that psycho had managed to hit her at the Foundry. She knew Oliver considered her his partner, so why was she letting Moira's threat get under her skin?

She swore to herself all those years ago when her father took off she would never let her self worth be dictated by a man like her mother had, but here she was dedicating her life to one who couldn't be bothered to respect the sanctuary she'd painstakingly rebuilt for him, for all of them. Chasing leads to rebuild his faith in the woman he believed was the love of his life (even if she knew better). It was ridiculous. She believed in his cause, was contributing significantly to something greater than herself, and that's how she convinced herself she wasn't better off walking away from Oliver Queen. Didn't mean she couldn't distance herself though. Her heart needed to mend.

Felicity sighed, ready to give up on the Sebastian Blood side quest and head to bed when her computer dinged, indicating results. She opened the alert, and felt her blood run cold at what she saw.

"Oh my-" She didn't get to finish as she felt a gloved hand clamp over her mouth.

"Well, well Ms. Smoak. Turns out you are quite the surprise. I'll thank you for ruining my plan last year later, but you're coming with me now. We need you." Felicity shivered as she heard the familiar sound of Malcolm Merlyn's voice in her ear. "Scared? Good. Let's go, or this ends worse than it needs to."

* * *

Laurel walked into her apartment with a fresh bottle of wine, muttering to herself. Her dad had tried again to convince her to "go to a meeting, and talk to Sara." Laurel snorted, pouring herself a huge glass and drinking it quickly.

She was so angry with Sara. First, she'd grieved for almost 7 years. Then to find her dad knew she was alive, and hey, surprise surprise Oliver knew too. Not only did he know, but it was very clear they'd hopped back into bed together. Maybe his island time had changed his preference to blondes, because there was no way his assistant was just that. Laurel scoffed to herself. Poor girl, she'd just learned the price of falling for Oliver Queen.

Pouring herself another glass, she stared at the bottle. All that time grieving, for Sara and for Tommy. Now Sara was back and she had time to be angry about the fact that the reason she had grieved in the first place is because Ollie had taken her all too willing sister in that boat. Sara was back, but not Tommy. Oh, Tommy, who was gone because of her.

Finishing her second glass, Laurel poured a third, trying to dull the still fresh ache of that loss, of her part in that. She turned around to head to her couch, and was greeted with the sight of a distinguished, menacing looking man quite literally in front of her.

He clamped his hand over her mouth before saying,

"Laurel Lance, I've been dying to meet you."

The wine glass tumbled to the ground as she felt him pierce her skin with a needle, causing her vision to go black as she passed out.

* * *

The following morning found Oliver trying to placate another mistake, Isabel Rochev, as she complained about the distinct absence of his assistant as she was required to gather some form or another for one of their deals. Managing to appease her by finding them, Oliver tried calling her, again. Calling Diggle, who said he hadn't seen her either, Oliver felt the first prickle of unease. She wouldn't just leave him like that, would she? No, he decided swiftly. That just wasn't her.

He headed to her apartment with Diggle the moment he could, unease growing as they got closer. It was when her door was unlocked that fear began to settle in. Going in, Oliver's eyes were drawn to the single black arrow sticking out of the wall directly in front of them. There was a note, with a flash drive attached. Oliver mechanically walked over to it, this wasn't possible. _He was dead._

"We need to head to the Foundry," Oliver said thickly.

"How?" Is all Diggle said, coming back into the room after clearing the rest of the apartment.

"Now." With that, both men turned to leave, Diggle grabbing the tablet he saw laying on the table on the way out. They arrived at the Foundry, Diggle loading the flash drive into one of the computers. Opening the file, both men gathered in front of the monitor to watch the video. Both men felt ice in their veins as the images started.

"Hello Oliver. I have some people who would like to say hello." Malcolm panned the camera to show Felicity and Laurel tied to chairs. Felicity was alert, while Laurel still appeared to be unconscious. "Blondie here is a fighter. I would expect no less from the woman who disabled one of my devices." He caressed her face, chuckling darkly at Felicity's obvious disgust. Merlyn moved to Laurel.

"And the woman Tommy would have made my daughter in law. Too bad he wanted to be her hero. I blame you, sweetie, for his death."

"Yeah, you're the lunatic who set up two earthquake devices with the intent to kill thousands, but _she's_ somehow responsible for Tommy's death," Felicity said.

"Now, now luv, do you remember what happened the last time you gave us sass?" Said a man's voice as he emerged from the shadows. He too caressed Felicity's face, calling attention to where a bruise was forming on her cheek. This one she glared at, but both Oliver and Diggle saw the fear she was desperately trying to hide.

Digg looked at Oliver and was stunned to see him white as a ghost. Merlyn continued,

"Ah yes. By the way, I didn't think it was possible for someone to hate you more than I do, but I'm pretty sure he does."

"Hello Oliver. I told you to always make sure the dead are truly dead. You have until midnight tonight to come make your choice." The man rattled off an address, and the screen went dark.

Diggle looked at Oliver, his own fear magnified on Oliver's face.

"Oliver, besides Malcolm fucking Merlyn, who else isn't dead?"

"Slade. Slade Wilson," Oliver said hoarsely. Diggle felt the blood drain from his face. He had never seen Oliver so scared, which terrified him. He gathered that Oliver was going to be forced to choose between Felicity and Laurel, felt the bile rising in his throat as he knew the outcome of that choice. Felicity would lose, because it was always everyone else be damned when it came to the Lance sisters.

"I have to call Lance, and Sara. Slade doesn't seem to know about her, which is going to be our only hope."

* * *

Oliver arrived at the requested location. Sara and Detective Lance had not dealt well with the knowledge Laurel had been taken. Detective Lance in particular because he didn't understand why. Diggle had called Roy against Oliver's better judgement, but Diggle knew every able body they had needed to be there.

What Oliver didn't tell Diggle was if it came down to it, there was no choice to make. Both women would survive, Slade's target was ultimately him.

"Everyone ready?" Oliver asked. Hearing consent across the board, he cautiously made his way through the warehouse Slade had selected. He didn't have far to go before he came to the large open space. In the center Slade stood behind Laurel and Felicity, both of whom were on their knees, hands tied behind their backs. He had a gun, though currently he didn't have it pointed at either of them.

"Hello kid. Surprised to see me? I warned you that you have to make sure the dead stay dead. And yet you have two shining examples here of your failure to do that."

"Its me you want, Slade. Let them go."

"No. You don't get to be noble. You will suffer, and you will make the choice. This time, you will know the pain I've felt. So who will it be? Laurel Lance, or Felicity Smoak?" Slade began alternating who he pointed the gun at. "Which woman do you want knowing you let the other die?"

Oliver looked at Laurel, who appeared frightened and confused, but alert. He turned his gaze to Felicity and felt his breath be taken away. She was terrified, absolutely but defiant and yet...no. No, she wouldn't. She couldn't believe that of him. That was NOT forgiveness and goodbye in her eyes. Oliver took a step forward and watched time literally stop.

Slade had pulled the trigger while pointing at Laurel but Felicity shot to her feet and threw herself in front off Laurel just as Slade fell forward with a stunned look on his face. There was another commotion Oliver barely registered, he only had focus on Felicity. For a second, Oliver wasn't sure who had been hit. He was running, completely unaware that he'd even begun moving.

Time started again as he saw the three arrows sticking out of Slade's back.

"Ironic that Ivo's daughter would be the one to sacrifice herself for you kid."

Oliver reached for Felicity.

"Felicity, no. You don't get to leave me this way. Lance! I need an ambulance! Oh God, Felicity, why?" Oliver frantically put pressure on the wound far too close to her heart.

"Hey," she said weakly, cupping his cheek."Not your...fault. Love you, you know. Need you...to trust me. Call Barry..." Oliver had to strain to hear the last part, but quickly complied.

"Oliver, what's up?"

"Barry! Felicity has been shot, she told me to call you."

"Where are you?" Oliver brokenly gave Barry the address, then heard the line go dead. There was a sudden gust of air, and then Barry was next to him, gathering Felicity into his arms.

"I'll explain later. Meet me at Starling Memorial." Another gust of air and they were both gone. Oliver stayed on his knees, staring dumbly at the blood on his hands. Not able to stand the sight of Felicity's blood on his gloves he ripped them off violently.

"He called her Ivo's daughter," he heard, snapping him out of his haze.

"Not now, Sara. Come get your sister. Where's Merlyn?"

"Gone. He was knocked out, but..."

"We'll worry about him later. Slade is dead," Oliver said, absently touching each of the three arrows.

"You sure this time?"

"Took three to the heart. No healing that. I need to get to the hospital."

"I'll handle cleanup, Laurel is clear now." Lance said, his voice sounding a bit odd.

"Thank you Detective." Oliver pushed to his feet finally, grabbed his gloves and walked out of the warehouse towards his bike.

* * *

Quentin Lance moved toward the warehouse slightly distracted. He had believed there was a special kind of relationship between the Arrow and Felicity, and the anguished roar that had come from the Arrow when he heard the gunshot only cemented that belief. The problem he was having was that the voice modulator had malfunctioned at that second and if he didn't know any better he'd have sworn that was Oliver Queen's voice.

He saw the blood, and the body of the man who had taken his girls. He'd grown very fond of Felicity. On a hunch, he dusted for prints on the arrows and was surprised to see results. He took the sample, stashed it in his jacket and then wiped the arrows down just before the backup he'd called for arrived.

He began barking out orders until his superiors arrived to take over. When they realized he was first responding officer, they took his statement. Eventually, cleanup was done and he headed to the station to do his report, the fingerprints he took burning a hole in his pocket.

He was going to find out who his ally was.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Ok, so I am SO SORRY it took so long. I've been crazy busy, and my muse abandoned me for a bit. Taught me a lesson about starting things, that's for sure.

This will likely be my last story for a while; I have deliberately not watched anything since Heir to the Demon in order to make sure I wasn't changing my story and it kept in the direction I wanted. I really hadn't intended this to be sooooooo freaking long, but once again they got away from me. I do apologize for any inconsistencies, I'm absolutely blaming pregnancy brain.

This is not beta'd, none of the recognizable characters are mine, I make no money off of this. That cover it? Yeah? Ok, well, as always, please enjoy at the least, review at the most. Thanks once again for your patience!

* * *

Barry flashed Felicity to the hospital.

"Help! I interrupted a mugging but not before she got shot!"

The ER rushed into action, taking her straight into surgery, leaving Barry to give the admittance information. Barry pulled his phone out to text Oliver.

_'Felicity has been mugged, was shot. At Starling Memorial, she is in surgery now._' Barry put his phone away, hoping Oliver understood that he was setting all of their cover stories in place. Even if part of him would love to see Oliver squirm for breaking Felicity's heart over and over again. Barry leaned his head back and closed his eyes. Waiting wasn't his strong suit, but that's all there was to do now. Plus, he was sure he'd hear the roar when Oliver arrived.

* * *

He wasn't wrong. Diggle and Oliver arrived about 45 minutes later. Fortunately Felicity had listed Oliver as an emergency contact, because if Oliver's tone had been anything to go by, he was willing to buy the hospital and fire everyone who was denying him access to Felicity. Diggle managed to restrain Oliver when he found out Felicity was still in surgery, and guided him to where Barry was waiting.

"What the hell Allen?" Oliver demanded, and Barry knew then that Oliver was every bit as in love with Felicity as she was with him. There was concern and fear in Diggle eyes, yes. But Oliver looked like a wounded animal in search of its mate. He was practically oozing fear, panic, guilt, anguish. Barry cocked his head a bit to the side as he realized Oliver had no idea how to deal with those, so he resorted to anger. He therefore didn't even bother asking Oliver to clarify.

"The explosion in Central City hit as a storm did. I was dealing with a leak in my apartment, the next thing I know I'm waking up and its been two months. The nurses told me Felicity was a frequent visitor, and when I was able, I went to go catch a train to come say thank you. I found that I...ran...a bit faster than I used to."

"A bit?" Oliver choked out. Barry glanced around, and seeing no one around, replied,

"So far as I can tell its near speed of light. Felicity has been helping me."

"Thank you, Barry." Diggle interjected before Oliver could say anything else. "You very well may have saved her, and I cannot thank you enough for that." At this, Oliver deflated, collapsing into a nearby chair and leaning his head back against the wall.

"I hope I did, because that is not something I think he can handle" Barry muttered, looking at Oliver. Diggle followed his gaze, and an understanding passed between them. "I told the hospital I interrupted a mugging."

"It's a good cover sorry. Thank you, Barry." Diggle repeated softly. Barry nodded his acknowledgment, and all three men settled in to wait.

* * *

Sara took Laurel to her apartment, neither saying a word other than Sara asking if Laurel was ok. Laurel had nodded, still in shock. When they got to the apartment, Sara checked for additional threats, and noticed the police officers her dad had to have convinced needed to guard Laurel.

"You know who he is, don't you?"

"Who?" Sara asked, turning to look at her.

"The Vigilante, or Arrow, or whatever he's going by now."

"Yes."

"Who is he?"

"It's not my secret to tell."

"You killed that man."

"He took you, and he was going to kill you. Yes, I killed him." Sara stated matter of factly and lifting her chin in defiance, as if daring Laurel to condemn her. She was surprised to hear Laurel switch topics yet again.

"That girl. Oliver's assistant. She works with the Vigilante also. Is she ok?" This time it was Laurel who was surprised to see...regret? sadness? concern? flit across Sara's face. "Tell me."

"Felicity uh." Sara took a deep breath. "Felicity threw herself in front of you before that psycho shot you. From what I understand, she's still in surgery."

"Why would she do that?" Sara smiled, and there was sadness and admiration both in the smile.

"Because that's just who Felicity is. She makes her choices based on what she feels is right, and no force on this earth would ever convince her otherwise," Sara said and Laurel felt as though Sara was not just talking to her when she said that. "I'll go. Dad has put some officers around, you know how protective he is. Nothing else is going to happen to you. Sorry I wasn't here to prevent it this time." Laurel seized on that, trying not to think about the woman who was currently trying to recover from saving her, or think too hard on the identity of the Arrow, because she had a feeling she already knew. And at this point, she wasn't sure she was ready for that.

"How long, Sara?" This time Sara didn't need to ask what she meant.

"A year. You're a magnet for danger. Especially when you were working with the DA." And with that Sara turned to leave.

"Stay," called Laurel. Sara looked back, and Laurel saw for the first time clearly the hope and fear on Sara's face. But she stayed. There was a lot to be worked out, but they'd have to do that together.

* * *

Lance would later be thrilled to learn his daughters were mending their relationship, but right this particular moment he was in the precinct's lab running the prints he'd pulled off the arrows. He knew from experience that it could take a while, so needless to say he was shocked when he got a hit immediately.

He damn near fell over when he saw the name "Oliver Queen." He was bombarded with emotion, primarily disbelief. That soon gave way to anger, and then resignation. It made so many things make sense. The Arrow willing to jump through hoops to keep Laurel safe. Why he was anywhere near when Tommy Merlyn died. Felicity's new role as Queen's assistant. The timing of it all. Sara was on the same island, and he had a decent inkling of what _she_ was capable of.

Lance stood there a few moments, conflicted as to how he wanted to proceed. On the one hand, every time Oliver Queen got inserted into their lives, it was destructive, even if he had sensed Oliver trying to do better. On the other, what The Arrow was doing was vital to the city's wellbeing. Hell, he'd gone after his own mother thinking she was corrupt, so he had a very clear sense of right and wrong. He just didn't always agree with Queen or his methods. Making his decision, Lance quickly deleted the results. He would have a chat with Queen later.

* * *

Oliver leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes, worn out. He tuned out the other two men, not wanting to hear their condemnation and recriminations. Unfortunately, every time he closed his eyes all he could see was Felicity's too pale and still form bleeding out in his arms.

_"Not your...fault. Love you, you know." _

_"Because that's just who Felicity is. She makes her choices based on what she feels is right, and no force on this earth would ever convince her otherwise." _

The two conversations played on repeat in his head though he'd ripped his com out after Sara said it. He knew Sara was telling him the same thing Felicity had. Oliver felt his despair grow as he realized Felicity could have been using her dying breath to offer him absolution and love he came nowhere near deserving. The longer they waited, the more of the last several hours played in his head.

_"Not your...fault. Love you, you know."_

_"Ironic that Ivo's daughter would sacrifice herself to save you kid."_

_"Where's Merlyn? Gone..."_

_"Ivo's daughter. Merlyn gone."_

_"Love you, you know."_

_Felicity bleeding, moving, throwing herself in front of Laurel._

Over and over and over again until Oliver wanted to scream with the sheer unfairness of it all. Ivo's daughter or not, she was the purest of them all, and did not deserve to be having to fight for her life the way she was. He was reaching his breaking point when Diggle calling his name finally penetrated the hell he was creating for himself. Oliver opened his eyes to look at him.

"Yeah." Diggle sucked in a deep breath when Oliver opened his eyes. They were normal to an outsider, he was sure. Being side by side with Oliver allowed him to see the anguish clearly. This went beyond Tommy. Those two had never truly reconciled true, but Tommy also never really knew the post island Oliver. Felicity did, and there was love beyond what he thinks even Oliver understood. Barry was right, Oliver would not be able to handle it if Felicity didn't pull through.

"Barry told the hospital it was a mugging gone bad. He knows what forensic counter measures to take," Diggle suddenly stopped at the distant sound of footsteps.

"Oliver Queen?" Came a voice a moment later. Oliver shot to his feet.

"Yeah, that's me." "Ms Smoak is out of surgery. It was very close, but it looks like the bullet missed her heart. Not by much, but fortunately by enough that we were able to repair the damage. The rest is up to her." The surgeon said to him.

"Can I...can WE see her?" Oliver asked as he felt Barry come up to join him and Diggle. Taking a look at the three men practically vibrating with worry, the surgeon took pity on them.

"It's late. Yes, you can all see her, but only one will be allowed to stay. She's still coming out of the anesthesia, and is being given medicine to manage the pain, so she may be out of it for a while yet. Follow me." And with that, the surgeon started heading to a recovery ward.

When they reached Felicity's room, Oliver almost buckled under the urge to bolt. _She was here because of him._ Diggle must have sensed it because he put a hand on Oliver's shoulder, prompting him to move fully into the room.

"Given the blood loss, and proximity to her heart, we half expected her to flatline. She never did. This ones a fighter," the surgeon said before closing the door behind her. The three men vaguely heard that tidbit as they stared at the normally vibrant and talkative woman lying in front of them. For a few long moments, the only sound in the room was the impersonal beeping of the machines monitoring Felicity's vitals.

"What happened?" Barry finally dared ask. Oliver didn't look at Barry when he said,

"My past."

"Do you think Merlyn will come back to..." It was Diggle that voiced the concern that was on their minds.

"If he does I'll kill him. I sent Roy to guard Thea. She can't know..." Oliver finally turned to look at Diggle and Barry.

"You can't...kill him. Thea...you'll never...forgive...yourself," Felicity managed, surprising them all.

"Felicity," Oliver said, whipping his head back to her, his hand coming up to cup her face.

"Stop. Not...your fault. I'll be...fine. Barry, sorry...for giving your secret away...too," Felicity smiled weakly and started nodding off again. Suddenly her eyes flew open. "Laurel ok?" Oliver gave what he hoped was a reassuring smile. Of course that would be what she was concerned about.

"She's fine. Rest."

"Ok. Hurts."

"I know." Felicity closed her eyes again, letting the medication take over. Oliver dropped his hand and turned back to look at Diggle, overwhelmed. Barry seemed to understand that Oliver needed time, because while he longed to make a snarky comment about Oliver letting him know when he was done breaking Felicity's heart, it would do no good. He opted instead to say,

"I have to work in the morning, and it would be difficult to explain how I got here so fast. Please let me know if you need me to take watch. She's my friend too." Oliver nodded, Diggle thanked him again, and Barry was gone.

"You don't get to run again Oliver," Diggle said. Oliver stared at him. "When this is over, you don't get to run. You will lose her forever if you do."

"She's here because of me."

"She's here because she made a choice. You insult _her_ to presume otherwise. That woman there is stronger than any of us have likely given her credit for. She knows the risk, and she still chose you, chose this life. Just like I chose to go after Lyla, just like I choose to stay."

"But she's not safe..."

"None of us are! It's the way it is! No one is EVER completely safe from danger. So who are you really trying to protect, Oliver. Felicity, or yourself? I heard what she said. Did _you_? It's your choice now. Abandon her and make your fears come true, or stay and try to be happy. It's on you now man. I'm going to go get some rest. I'll be back in 8 hours to take watch." Diggle had almost made it out the door when Oliver softly said his name. "Yeah?"

"Thank you." He nodded his acknowledgment, and shut the door behind him.

Oliver stared at the spot Diggle had stood, at a loss. Felicity being Ivo's daughter was a huge complication, as he was responsible for the man's death. Felicity dealt with a lot, was it fair to ask her to forgive that? Even if she could, was it fair to ask for her to deal with his issues?

Oliver looked out the window, scanning for threats. He didn't think Merlyn would come after Felicity, his end game was Thea, and right now he needed to trust Roy. He flirted with the idea of telling his mother that Merlyn was after Thea, but he wasn't sure he could trust her methods of keeping Thea safe. In the end Thea's safety won out and Oliver called Moira as the Arrow.

Oliver checked in with Roy after securing his mother's promise of security, then paced around the room, unable to really look at Felicity. He went on alert every time the nurses came in to check on Felicity, but he soon found himself being aware of the timing. His brain kept looping Diggle's, Sara's, Slade's and Felicity's words until they were all a jumbled mess. He was looking out the window for threats again when he heard the sounds of someone entering the room off schedule. Oliver whipped around, immediately going into a defensive, battle ready stance.

"How is she?"

"Detective Lance," Oliver said, relaxing his stance and slipping his Oliver Queen mask in place.

Lance, for his part, couldn't understand how he'd missed it before. The changes were subtle, yes, but they were definitely there.

"She's doing much better. She's woken up briefly, and the surgery went well."

"Do you know what happened?" Lance asked, knowing full well that the reports had no record of Felicity being in the warehouse. Whoever had gotten her to the hospital had done so damn near instantly from what he could tell. Lance also deliberately kept Felicity out of the report, to protect her. Laurel was explainable in the report for motive, Felicity was not. Mostly, he just wanted to see if Queen had any tells.

"The hospital told me it was a mugging gone wrong," Oliver lied smoothly. And it was smooth. Lance smiled.

"You're good. But you and I both know that's not what happened." Oliver froze.

"Excuse me?"

"Do you have any leads on Merlyn?" Oliver stared at Lance, understanding dawning. Cocking his head to the side, it was clear Oliver was debating internally about something before the mask came crashing down. It was then that he saw just how exhausted Oliver actually was.

"No. He disappeared in the chaos. She was...Felicity was dying. She became priority." Queen moved to Felicity's side, his hand reaching for hers.

"Any idea if he'll come back for her?"

"She's not his endgame. Thea is. He just figured she'd be easier to get to if I was out of the way. Revenge, I'm quite sure, was a nice benefit," Oliver said almost absently as his thumbs made gentle circles on the back of Felicity's hand. Lance tucked the both the action and eference to Thea away, much more interested in why his daughter was involved in this mess than he was in the implied Queen family drama.

"Why'd he take Laurel?"

"The mastermind of this is Slade Wilson." Oliver let go of Felicity and rubbed his hands over his face. "He was on the island with us. He, uh...He taught me how to survive. The serum that's been causing the super soldiers has been coming from him. I'd injected him with it when he was dying, hoping it would save him. It wound up twisting his mind when the woman he loved...got killed."

"He blamed you for that." A haunted look entered Oliver's eyes at Lance's astute deduction.

"Yeah. Yeah he did. He knew Laurel was who I had been holding on to while I'd been on the island."

"Why take both of them and keep them alive? Why not just kill them both?"

"Revenge. I had to make a choice once. Shado or Sara. I put myself between them offering myself instead, but the person felt I chose Sara. He killed Shado as a result. I was going to have to choose again. Best revenge, I'm sure he thought."

"Dare I ask?" Diggle dryly asked as he stepped into the room. Oliver looked at the clock and realized it had been 8 hours already. Damn.

"Exactly how many people know?" Lance asked, though not truly surprised to see Queen's driver was clearly involved with the Arrow.

"Too many," the other two men said in unison.

"Laurel doesn't. I was doing what I could to keep it away from her," Oliver said. Lance nodded his thanks, then decided to tell him how he knew.

"You left your prints on the arrows. You're in the system Queen, from when money didn't work fast enough. Lucky I took them and not someone less friendly to the cause." Oliver closed his eyes in obvious frustration as realization hit as to when he'd done that.

"I'd have...deleted them anyway."

"Felicity!" Oliver said, his eyes flying back open.

"Hey kiddo, how you feeling?" Lance asked with a gentle smile.

"Like I got shot," Felicity tried to joke. Seeing the somber expressions on the men in her room, she sighed and tried to sit up. Oliver rushed to her side, gently helping her into a sitting position. It was clear to Lance that Oliver was worried, yet he could tell there was anger there as well. "I'm ok, he got me here in time."

For Oliver, everyone else in the room faded away when Felicity had spoken. He was relieved that she was awake and ok, but suddenly angry at her for trying to leave him. He'd made mistakes, dammit, but they were _partners._ And you don't just try to check out on your partner.

"Don't ever try anything like that again," he growled. Lance watched with increasing interest (and amusement) as Felicity simply touched her hand to Oliver's arm, calming him.

"I'm ok, Oliver, and so is Laurel. Detective, Sebastian Blood was working for Slade Wilson. If Merlyn left my babies alone, I can send in an anonymous tip so there aren't any questions about the legalities of the information," Felicity said, her voice stronger but still scratchy.

"So Laurel was right?" Diggle piped in.

"Yes she was. He seems to have done the recruiting and injecting, but it was all on Slade orders."

"Well, I'll check in with you later then. Get better soon, and...thank you," Lance said. He didn't know what else to do. What do you say to someone who was willing to die for your kid? Turning to Oliver, he asked gruffly, "Mugging, you said?"

"Yes," Oliver confirmed.

"Alright then. Ms. Smoak, if you remember anything about your attacker, give me a call. I'll keep you updated about the...investigation." With that, Lance left. Sensing the charge in the air, Diggle excused himself to get coffee. Once they were alone, Oliver began pacing again. Felicity broke the silence.

"Is Slade dead?"

"Yes," Oliver bit out.

"I'm sorry," Felicity started to say. She stopped when she saw the fury on Oliver's face.

"What exactly are you apologizing for?"

"I didn't tell you I was investigating Blood. I'm sure it wound up tipping Slade off, the way my luck has been recently. Not to mention you had to kill again." Felicity spoke haltingly at first, her voice sounding mostly normal, but it was obvious she was trying to find the right words.

"You're apologizing for _that?_" Felicity looked at Oliver, confused. She hadn't done anything really wrong, what was the issue here?

"I'm sorry for not telling you about Barry. He wanted to get control of it before he told you..." She said slowly, testing the waters. Oliver shook his head. "Ok, Oliver, I'm confused. What is wrong? Laurel is ok, Slade is dead, Blood is going to be caught as was Merlyn. Why are you clearly not taking this as a victory?"

"Merlyn got away. Because you got yourself _shot_! You almost died Felicity! What the hell were you thinking?!"

"Seriously. You're going to blame me for getting shot? I was thinking about _you_! I was thinking of the guilt you'd feel if you had to choose. I was thinking of how you and Sara would feel if anything happened to Laurel. Well, mostly you, but still. I was thinking of a backup plan so you didn't have to, you ass!" Oliver stalked over to Felicity, his temper and fear finally getting the best of him. Leaning down, he claimed Felicity's mouth with his. Stunned, it took her a second but she responded, enthusiastically. When she did, Oliver pulled back.

"You left yourself out. You never thought what I'd... You can't...you can't do that again." Searching his face and hearing the unspoken "to me,"Felicity finally settled on,

"Alright, Oliver. Now. Who is Ivo?" Oliver looked at Felicity, and she could see the war. He opened his mouth to reply when the nurse came in saying,

"You're awake! My goodness! I was going to check some things, but let me go get the doctor." The nurse left, and Felicity looked back to Oliver, who was staring at her rather intently. He finally leaned in and kissed her tenderly, reverently and, she thought, a bit desperately.

"When the doc leaves, I will tell you." Oliver pulled back, and moved to accommodate the doctor he heard coming towards the room.

* * *

The visit took longer than he anticipated, and Oliver spent that time second guessing his decision to tell Felicity the full truth. In the end, he remembered her fear of telling him about Thea, which is what kept him from bolting. She might make that decision for him, but after everything...she deserved to know.

"The guilt is all over your face, Oliver. Why did you kill him?"

"Ivo was one of the ringleaders of the island. He was searching for the Mirakuru. I believe at first his intentions were pure, the stuff clearly has medicinal value, but the longer the search took...by the time we had found it, it was no longer the science. He was cruel, ruthless in his quest to find it. Seemed to enjoy it, actually. It came down to him or me, and well. Clearly I chose me." _Please don't have heard what Slade said_, Oliver thought.

"And Slade said I was his daughter," Felicity said matter of factly. _Shit_.

"That's what he said. I don't see it."

"It's possible he was right. It doesn't matter. He took off so long ago...and if he was the way you say he was, then sounds like he did me a favor. Little scary to think I share his genes though, who knows what I'm capable of then?" Felicity mused.

"No, don't," Oliver said sharply.

"Don't what, Oliver?"

"Don't compare yourself to him. You do good things, you. You aren't like him. You're not cruel for no reason, you don't enjoy other people's pain." Felicity cocked her head a bit to the side.

"Oliver, I used to help you kill people," she said softly. "And I ignored that consequence for a long time."

"They were bad people, Felicity. And we stopped doing that." At that she smiled.

"Precisely my point Oliver. You weigh yourself down with all this guilt, and belief that you deserve every bad thing that comes your way. You did what you had to do, and the only person who blames you for that is you."

"When did you get so wise?" Diggle's voice came from the doorway. Oliver and Felicity both looked over to see him holding a bouquet of brightly colored flowers and her tablet, a relieved grin on his face.

"When I started spending all my time around you tall, dark, handsome, brooding hero types," Felicity smiled back and both men were happy to see it. Digg moved into the room and leaned down to give her a hug.

"I'll...go call Barry," Oliver said. Diggle looked at Oliver, curious, but Felicity just nodded.

"Get some rest Oliver. Knowing you, you haven't slept yet. You can't afford that." Oliver looked at Felicity, but there was no condemnation, no censure, no anger in her eyes. There was what he'd always seen, even if he chose to not recognize it. He nodded, feeling incapable of words at that moment. He nodded to Digg, no words were needed there. Then, he left, knowing Felicity was right about sleep.

* * *

"You let him off easy," Digg murmured.

"He has enough guilt. I had faith in Barry and all of you to get it taken care of. Either way, he needed the closure."

"You're too good to him."

"He needs someone to be. I love him, what else can I do? I know I can't, won't wait forever but. Besides, the man Oliver killed is not the man I remember, and it sounds like it was necessary."

"And that is why this team works, and I will never understand how you can do it." Came Sara's voice from the doorway. Felicity smiled.

"We all have our way of contributing to the greater good. If Slade was correct then I have my fair share of fathers sins to pay for. This is just my way. I'm not a fighter like you three are."

"After that, I'd have to disagree." Felicity went to shrug, then hissed in pain.

"Well that was painful. That is going to make my job _such_ a bitch. Ugh, and I do not even want to hear it from Isabel." Sara just gaped at her.

"You get used to it," Diggle grinned.

"Do you? Really?"

"Hey, in the room people. Hurting but not unconscious."

"Thank God for that," Barry said. It was Felicity's turn to grin.

"Told you you'd be able to control it. Thank you."

"I'd have really rather not found out the way I did, thanks." Oliver hung outside the door, hearing the easy conversation between everyone. Even Sara and Felicity, which was odd considering the tension in the last couple of weeks. Women were so weird, and he almost envied the easy understanding it was clear now had been reached. He turned to leave, confident in Diggle and Sara's ability to keep Felicity safe. He needed sleep, especially if he was going to catch Merlyn.

* * *

Sleep didn't come easy to Oliver. His instinct was to keep watch over Thea, even if he'd checked on her a number of times before attempting to sleep, and that warred with his need to go back to Felicity and hide her from the world so she could never get hurt again. He finally fell into a fitful sleep plagued by nightmares of Barry not getting Felicity to the hospital on time, the surgeons not being able to save her. Her belief that he wouldn't choose her, and loving him anyway. _His life without her_.

He woke with a gasp some hours later. Oliver looked frantically around his room for a moment, trying to orient himself to his surroundings and make sense of recent events. He looked at his phone, but no alerts waiting for him. Heading for the shower, Oliver contemplated his next move. It was as the hot water cascaded over him that he realized what everyone had been trying to tell him. He'd seen better than most how short life is, and he'd been spending the better part of a year ignoring the best thing that could have happened to him. Oliver was done with that. He was opening the front door to leave when he was greeted by Detective Lance.

"You have a problem." Oliver felt his heart drop at that.

"Felicity ok?"

"Yeah. She sent me the information about Blood, but she found something else. I was with her when she found it, and since I have to get your statement about the 'mugging,' I told her I'd send you over when I was done."

"Well, I don't have much information about the mugging. I got a call she'd been shot because I'm listed as her emergency contact. What did she find?"

"She'll tell you. Good thing it's the weekend. You'll have a chance to do damage control."

"What?"

"I respect what you've been trying to do, Queen, which is why I'm going to let her tell you. And I'm going to offer some advice. Stop ignoring what you have. I learned the consequences the hard way."

"Thank you, Detective." Lance nodded, and left. Oliver rushed to the hospital. Heading to Felicity's room, he finds Diggle is the only other occupant.

"Lance find you?" Felicity asked as he came in. Oliver walked to Felicity's side, casually kissed her like it was something he'd been doing for years, and asked,

"Yes, told me there's a problem?"

"Um, yeah. Could be," Felicity quickly recovered and handed him her tablet.

"Slade had another partner. He really hated you, and had plans to rip apart every part of your life." When Oliver saw what Felicity had found, he frowned.

"_Isabel_? He was working with Isabel?"

"Yeah. The plan was to strip you of your wealth, your friends, your love. He had said something to Merlyn about it, which is why I checked. Lance said the evidence here will be enough to arrest and likely convict her, but it will destroy the company's image. Again."

"Unless..."

"Unless you confront Isabel. Get her to sign over her shares before this goes public. Queen Consolidated would be yours again and you wouldn't have to worry about her trying to take over any more. "

"It's going to come out anyway."

"But if you get control first it looks more like a failed hostile takeover, increasing investors faith both in the company's viability and your capability as CEO. Caught unaware you look like you had no idea, which is an open invitation for investors to bail, try to take over themselves, or both." Oliver smiled, pride evident in the curve of his lips.

"You sure _you_ don't want to be CEO?" Felicity laughed.

"No, I just want a good tech budget." Oliver let out a surprised chuckle.

"At this point, you can have just about anything you want."

"That's a dangerous statement to make, Oliver Queen. Do you know what I'm capable of with an unchecked budget?" Diggle watched the two of them with an amused smirk on his face. They were finally acting like a long established couple, and Digg supposed in some ways they were. He was glad Oliver had apparently made his decision, but had some reservations about Oliver's true readiness. There was a lot left unresolved, but something told Digg they'd figure it all out. Hell, at this point that unresolved tension was going to clearly be resolved and now they had more resources, which would be invaluable going forward. So for now, he'd enjoy the happy moments with the two people closest to him. After all, they were what made what they did all worth it.

~Fin


End file.
